Treating oils and composition therefor



Patented Nov. 1, 1932 ELLIOTT MORRILL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS TREATING OILS AND COMPOSITION THEREFOR No Drawing.

The present invention relates to the breakin of oil emulsions, especially in fuel oils.

t is a Well-known fact that fuel, or furnace oils contain varying amounts of water, (usually containing salts), and various amounts of suspended carbon, sulphur, and asphaltic and resinous matter. These substances combine With the oil to form viscous and heavy emulsions, which are known as 11) bottom settling, or sludge. On burning off a storage tank containing fuel oils, these emulsions will cause clogging at the separators in the lines, and at the burner heads, with consequently 'a'considerable loss of time in obtaining the necessary heats, irregularity and poor control, as Well as loss of oil value.

tures thereof, can be used for the purpose of breaking these emulsions, which enable the water and salt solutions, and other chemicals suspended in the emulsions to settle down and thereby leave the oil clean and with the proper fluidity so that it does not cause the trouble produced by emulsions.

Some of the compositions on the market are limited in application in-that they are commercially inefl'ective on certain types of-oils. Such a composition must be effective in small quantities for large volumes of oil so that there is an economic advantage in using it. Paraflin base oils may be treated economically with a composition which will not be econom-- ically applied to asphaltic base oils. The various chemicals and compositions which have heretofore been employed have failed as a practical proposition for the reason that upon standing they absorb moisture from the air and in this way they lose their property of absorbing the water from the oil, and thereby fail to break the emulsions which is the purpose for which they are intended.

One ob ect of the present invention is to provide a composition which is stable in bulk r under ordinary atmospheric conditions, so that it will keep for a long period of time without being rendered ineffective or ineflicient by absorbing moisture from the air Another object of the invention is the provision of a composition that is effective on a variety of different oils.

A variety of different chemicals, or mixtic potash or lime.

Application filed February 8, 1929. Serial No. 338,615.

Still another object of the invention is the proyision' of a composition which not only breaks'emulsions butwhich cleans the lines, tanks, etc., of incrustations and sludge deposited thereon by prior use of untreated oils.

A morespecific object of the invention is the protection of a hygroscopic component of the composition With a protecting compound which is efiective as a protection against atmospheric injury to the composition and which may be harmless or even advantageous when the composition functions in the oil.

Various other and ancillary objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention exemplified in the illustrative compositions hereinafter given. v

The essential component of the compound has the .function of breaking the emulsion. Components for this purpose are well known and in general include alkali or an alkaline reacting compound such as caustic soda, caus- Such compounds cut the oil, combine with or absorb water and certain sulphur ingredients or free sulphur, and resinous matter and other impurities.

I prefer to employ a hydrocarbon type of compound incombination with the emulsion .breaking agent. It acts mechanically as a diluent and forms a suitable base for breaking up the emulsion. Solid hydrocarbons like anthracene, naphthalene, phenanthrene, and the similar compounds are very suitable since they may be ground into the alkali or emulsion breaker. These hydrocarbons are promoters of good combustion and have a. iuel value. The hydrocarbon is not essential ut very desirable for practical reasons. The hydrocarbons above referred 'to are somewhat volatile, and the alkalies described readily absorb water from the air. When used together the hydrocarbon and thealkali are intimately mixed by grindingto a fine powder. The powder is readily reactive to absorb materials, for example moisture, from the air, and to volatilize the hydrocarbon. I aim to protect the mass from such reactions by coating the particles with a protecting agent. In practice I employ one which is non-volatile and non-absorbent as to atmospheric constituents. I also usea pro. -cting agent which is soluble in the oil. so that it may'libcrate the protected ingredients for action.

As a protecting agent I have used a waterrepellant compound best exemplified by a The following formula. illustrate a num ber. of suitable compositions embodying the present inven tion.

Emam lc .2

Parts 01 Naphthalci c -s 900 Caustic soda 90 Al :nincxn oleato 10 Example 2 c i Parts of Anthracene 750 Caustic potash Q. 240 Zinc stearate l0 EwQWLPZG 5 Parts 0!! Phenanthrene a-.. m 400 Anthracene 200 Naphthalene no"; 230 Caustic potash m '90 Caustic soda 7O Lime 3 Lead linoleate 7 Example Z,

' Parts of Naphthalene i150 Caustic soda 180 Aluminum stearate 7O Iln preparing the compound the constituents {1N ground together and the metalic soaps exhibit their characteristic {coating and pro-- tecting property in the'rcsultant compound.

In use, one pound of compound is added to from 500 to 1500 gallons of oil depending upon the purity of the oil and the character of the oil. A rise of tern ,erature may be noted as reaction occurs. Agitation hastens the process by increasing distribution. Without agitation the changing character of the oil caused by the separation of'the broken emulsion in distributing the compound.

l have found that the compound continues to be effective under some conditions J .over long periods of time,- especially when emulsions.

I have alsofound that pipes, valves and fhe'reonnections arecleansed of sludge dei s and incrustations formed by prior use nt'rcatcd oil. The combustion is impr, vedflegularity of flow is established with consequently. impro zed controh and the oil masses is better adapted to flowing and for handling especially in cold weather.

I have reason to believe that the metallic soaps dissolved in the oil aid materially in breaking the emulsions and in improving the combustion toward which they doubt-lcssly exert a catalytidefiect because of their metalic content.

It is to be understood that I do not limit the invention to the illustrative examples given above and that It contemplate such other materials and compositions as may fall within the scope of the appended claims definin the invention.

1. A composition of matter containing in intimate admixture. naphthalene, caustic soda, and lead linolcatc.

2. A composition of matter containing in intimate admixture caustic potash. and zinc stearatc. I

3. A. composition of matter containing'in intimate admixture substantially naphthalene, 18% caustic soda and of aluminum stearate, i

A rocess for breaking emulsions in low gra e oils consisting in treating the oils with a small percentage of a composition of matter containing in intimate admixture a polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon, an alka line-reactin substance, and an oil soluble water-rcpell ant substance, 4

5. A composition of matter which consists of a eomminuted mixture of an alkali, solid polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon, and an oil-soluble Water-repellent protective agent. v

6. A composition of matter for breaking an emulsion of a hydrocarbon and for treating fuel oils and the like which contains in a comminuted mixture, a solid caustic alkali, a solid hydrocarbon from the group naptha lene, anthraccne and phenanthrcne, and a metallic soap which is oil soluble.

in witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

ELLIOTT MORRILL. 

